The cover story of the current issue of Phoenix Weekly is about refugees who left North Korea to China or a third country. These people are called "defectors" by South Korea and "illegal enterers"by China. According this article, three to four hundred thousand North Koreans have entered China illegally since 1983.

After these defectors leave North Korea, they try to get to Mongolia or South Korea, crossing Chinese territory. If these people are found by Chinese police or the North Korean army, they are sent back to North Korea and put into prison. Nonetheless, many of them try to escape again after they are released.